Just Causes

Password required

January 25, 2007

Scratch me

Babe meatloafs on the studio rug in a zen moment during the countdown to supper this afternoon, with Tuck's brilliant new scratching post in the middle ground and Chris's Xmas gift of a couple of years back, Cationary, in the foreground atop Tuck's oaken coffee table made from wood obtained from the pews of a Chelsea synagogue way back when. The table top suggests a sailing ship's hatch grid, reports Tuck. It's served us well for decades of Chelsea entertaining.

A bit of ankle -- hand-carved ball-and-claw feet -- as a preview of Tuck's totally awesome new scratching post, a one-of-a-kind monstrosity masterpiece incorporating the ten-parted post modeled after an early America's Cup mast crafted by the Tuckster years ago and now refurbished and combined with a new base. When he first told us about it, we were skeptical, but now that it's a fait accompli, stained with cherry, varnished and fitted up with block and tackle and lines, it's looking mighty ship shape. So far no interest from the cats, who seem to prefer the carpet-covered scratching post on the other side of the room.

Update: More post scratchers and other creatures bright and beautiful at Friday Ark #123 at Modulator.

Update II: A couple of technical footnotes from Tuck in the comments:

1. "early America's Cup" mast in this case refers to the J Boat.

2. Any cat or other being who uses this piece to scratch upon will be dealt with quickly and severely. (I've already spoken w/ T&B, as the photo illustrates.)